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Giuseppe Garibaldi (Nice, France, 1808 - Caprera, Italy, 1889)

Born in France to an Italian family, Garibaldi participated actively in the Nizzardo Italians community and was certified in 1832 as a merchant navy captain. He lived in the Pera district of Constantinople from 1828 to 1832. He became an instructor and taught Italian, French, and mathematics. As a merchant he visited Taganrog, Russia.

Garibaldi was a follower of the Italian nationalist Mazzini and embraced the republican nationalism of the Young Italy movement. After participating in an uprising in Piedmont, he was sentenced to death, but escaped and sailed to South America, where he spent 14 years (1834-1848)in exile (in Brazil and Uruguay), during which he took part in several wars and learned the art of guerrilla warfare.

In 1848-50 Garibaldi had a leading role in the Italian Risorgimento in the First Italian War of Independence and in support of the Roman Republic.

Garibaldi spent 5 more years (1850-1854) in exile (mostly in the United States and Peru), before returning to Italy in 1854. He had a decisive role in the Second Italian War of Independence and in the "Expedition of the Thousand" that concluded with the annexation of Sicily, Southern Italy, Marche and Umbria to the Kingdom of Sardinia.

He continued to be active in Italy and abroad, politically and militarily.

His last military campaign took place during the Franco-Prussian War as commander of the French Army of the Vosges.